Spartans players
‘let club down’

Blyth Spartans skipper Robert Dale gave his verdict on Saturday’s 4-0 defeat at the hands of Boston United, in a performance that manager Alun Armstrong described as the worst of his tenure.

And the Spartans legend concurred with his boss: “We weren’t good enough one to 11. There wasn’t anybody who had a good game and that is just not acceptable.

“We were setup the right way, I mean it is the same team that is unbeaten in four and we just weren’t at it.

“There was no workrate from any of us, the effort was just not there.”

The result came off the back of three consecutive victories, and Dale suggested complacency perhaps played a part:

“I don’t know why, we came into the game feeling confident, but maybe too confident with too many thinking we have turned the corner after a bad start to the season and we can’t afford to do that as teams like Boston will beat us badly.

“There is no easy win in this league.”

But what displeased Dale the most was the lack of fight in the Spartans ranks:

“It is a massive blow, we can all have a bad game of football, but the workrate needs to be there, no matter if we are getting beat, whatever the score is people have came to watch us, we have got to put the effort in and come off the field knackered.

“No matter what what the score is, we have to fight.

“That tells you we were not at it.”

Dale, part of the Spartans exciting front four, was particularly unimpressed with the offensive output from his unit:

“We are an attacking team and we cannot get a shot off in a game of football.

“Last week we stopped them having a second-half shot, but today we have played 90 minutes and their keeper hasn’t done a thing, that is unacceptable.”

Armstrong said: “That was abysmal from start to finish.I can’t understand the thinking of the lads and I am a little bit shell-shocked as I never saw that coming.

“It might be my fault for sticking with the same team, but it’s a bit baffling.

“There wasn’t any work-rate and I am really surprised at what I saw.

“They all let themselves and the club down.”

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